Roast Leg of Lamb

Recipe by Monira Chowdhury

Lamb leg (2.5 kg)

Marinade:

1. Blended onion 2.5 heaped tbsp (approx 1 heaped table spoon per kg)
2. Garlic & ginger paste 2.5 heaped tbs (approx 1 heaped per kg)
3. Salt 2.5 tsp (1 teaspoon per kg)
4. Pepper 2.5 tsp (1 tsp per kg)
5. Whole grain mustard 2.5 heaped tbsp (1 tbsp per kg)
6. Mint sauce 2.5 heaped tbsp (1 per kg )
7. Mint jelly 2.5 heaped tbsp (1 per kg)
8. Honey 2.5 heaped tbsp (1 per kg)

• Mix together the marinade,
• Cut slots or spear leg with fork
• Coat lamb leg and leave at least 3-4 hours (preferably overnight);

Roasting 

• For well done meat (40 mins per kg + 20 mins)
• Roast in pre-heated oven 200c covered in foil for 30 mins,
• Reduce heat to 180c, take off foil & roast another 1.5 hours (90 mins),
• Take out the roast and rest for at least 15-20 mins before carving, 
• For gravy add juices from roasting tray (if necessary discard any excess oil) into prepared gravy (From Gravy granules & stock);

[For medium (or medium rare) roast oven cooking time 30 mins per kg + 20 mins]

Gravy

Take cooked juices from roasting tray (drain excess oil) and reduce consistency, add 1 tbsp gravy granules to thicken as required. 

Golden Roast Potatoes

Roast Potatoes are a must have in a Roast Dinner. It should be golden, crispy outside and soft inside.

Ingredients:

1. Maris Piper (ideally) potatoes 2 kg
2. Salt 2 tsp
3. Black pepper 1/2 tsp
4. Turmeric powder 1 tsp
5. Chilli flakes 1 tsp
6. Olive Oil 1/4 cup

Method:

• Foil a large baking tray and put it in the oven, set the temperature to 200 c
• Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into bite size pieces. 
• Place in cold water just enough to cover the potatoes
• Add 1 tsp of Turmeric powder and 1 tsp of salt in the water
• Bring to boil and then simmer for 8 minutes
• Drain 
• Place the potatoes on the hot tray
• Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 tsp chilli flakes
• Drizzle with olive oil and coat the potatoes 
• Spread them out, they should be separate, not touching each other. 
• Put the tray in the oven for 40-50 minutes. 

Bring out and serve. 

   

Party Kachchi Biryani

Party Kachchi Biryani in 10 litre Rice-Cooker 

Serves 40-50

You can cook without the rice cooker in a large pot, the traditional way. In that case use medium heat for first 30 minutes then put on simmer for two and half hours. 

The advantage of using the rice cooker is that, the temperature is controlled automatically and you get consistent result every time and you don't have to be on standby, you don't even have to be in the house. Rice cooker will keep it warm for hours until you are ready to serve.

Main Ingredients: 

Lamb 12 kg
Potato 2kg (Maris Piper potatoes are best, they do not breakdown easily)

Rice 4 kg (Extra long grain Basmati is best)

MEAT: marinade meat for minimum 2 hours in:
Shaan Pilao Biriyani Masala 12 Pack
Ginger paste 2 cups
Garlic paste 2 cups
Ghee 2 cups
Oil 2 cups
Yogurt 2 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Lemon Juice 2 cups

RICE: Wash rice thoroughly, then soak in cold water for 30 minutes > then drain.  

POTATOES: Peel and cut in desired size. 

LAYER:

Place the marinated meat at the bottom of the ricecooker pot and layer the following accordingly:

Potatoes
Green chillis 24
Fried Onion 2 cups
Golden Sultanas (Raisins or Kismis) 2 cups
Dhone pata (Corriander leaves) 1 bunch
Pudina Pata (Mint leaves) 1 bunch
Soaked and drained rice
Rose water 500ml

Pour Milk & Water mix (50:50) until water is just at the same level of the rice.
Close the lid > Turn on the Rice cooker > Leave it untouched for 3 hours.
Open the lid > Drizzle 1 cup of ghee over the rice.

Garnish with some fried onion (beresta) and dhonepata.  

Done!

Important:
Before layering, loosen up the marinated meat. After adding the water make some wholes with a large spoon around and one in the middle for water to reach the bottom. This will prevent the meat to overheat resulting rice cooker to turn off prematurely.

Keep an eye on the rice cooker for about 30 minutes. After ten minutes you will hear a bubbling sound, then you will see steam coming out, then after about 30-45 minutes the the ricecooker will switch from COOK to WARM mode automatically and the steam will cease. Do not touch it, leave it at warm mode, it's still cooking!

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Tagine is the Moroccan national dish and popular worldwide. It can be of chicken, meat, fish and vegetable. It is cooked in a clay pot with a conical lid called Tagine itself. If you have it, use it, if you don't, just use oven proof dish. For 3 kg meat you will need 2 standard size dish.  

• Lamb                              3 kg (12 servings)
• Black pepper                   3 tsp
• Olive oil                           1/2 cup
• Chopped onion                  3
• Garlic Ginger paste           3 tbsp
• Curry powder                     3 tsp
• Ras Al Hanut                     3 tsp
• Cinnamon powder             3 tsp
• Paprika                              3 tsp
• Saffron                               3 pinch
• Honey                               1/2 cup
• Lemon                               1 juce & rind
• Olives                                3 cups
• Vegetable stock cubes      6 
• Raisins soaked                  1 cup
• Potato and carrots             1/2 kg
• Salt to taste                       3 tsp to start
• Parsley/Mint                      Garnish
• (Optional:Red chilli flakes or Cayenne pepper )

Mix everything > place the mix in a ovenproof dish > cover with aluminium foil and place in the middle of preheated oven 200 degree centigrade for 2 hours.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Tagine is the Moroccan national dish and popular worldwide. It can be of chicken, meat, fish and vegetable. It is cooked in a clay pot with a conical lid called Tagine itself. If you have it, use it, if you don't, don't need it. 

During my Morocco holiday, I had it all, in hotels, restaurants and in famous Jema el Fina Square stalls at night. I can tell you I was disappointed, they were bland. Perhaps they have to keep them bland to cater to mainly western tourists and children. Other reason I can imagine is that the main ingredients 'Ras el Hanout, Harissa and Saffron' are quite expensive to use for tourist market. Those spices are available in UK supermarkets but may not be available everywhere. So I have prepared this recipe with the ingredients of those spices to substitute. Trust me if you cook it at home with my recipe, it will be much more tasty and full of flavour. Once you master this, you can cook meat and fish tagine as well.   

• Chicken thighs 8
• Black pepper 1tsp
• Olive oil 2tbsp
• Chopped large onion 1
• Ginger 1", finely chopped.
• Garlic paste 2 tsp
• Coriander.powder 2tsp
• Cumin.powder 2tsp
• Cinnamon powder 1tsp
• Turmeric 1/2 tsp
• Paprika 1 tsp
• Saffron 2-3 pinch
• Honey 1 tbsp
• Lemon 1 sliced
• Olives 1 cup
• Vegetable (or halal chicken) stock cubes 2-3 
• Raisins soaked 1/4 cup
• Potato and carrots pealed and sliced 1-2 cups
• Salt to taste
• (Optional:Red chilli flakes or Cayenne pepper )

If available

• Ras-el-Hanout 1tsp 
• Harissa 1tsp
• Saffron 1 pinch

Mix everything and place the mix in a oven proof dish, cover with aluminium foil and place in the middle of preheated oven 200 degree centigrade for 1 hour. You will love it!

Jali Pitha

As the name suggests it's a net-like flat bread called Jali Pitha in Bangladesh. It goes best with meat bhuna or daal. 

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice flour (preferably made from parboiled rice)
1 cup milk
2 cup water
1/2  tsp salt
1 tb Oil
2 eggs

Mix everything to make the batter.

• Heat a medium nonstick fry pan. 
• Pour 1/3 cup and roll around to cover the whole bottom of the pan. 
• After approximately one minute when the edges lift up, turn it over and cook for another minute. 

You can reduce the timings depending on the intensity of the heat.

If it's sticking and not coming off easily, your pan is not hot enough. 

Jhotpot Mishti Doi (Quick Sweetened Yogurt)

MISTI DOI (NO BOILING, Quck and easy)

Mishti Doi or sweetened Yogurt is the ultimate Bengali dessert. If you can get it right, it will win the hearts and minds of your guests every time, and with my recipe you cannot go wrong! 

Obviously, this recipe is for those who live abroad and try hard to recreate the Deshi Doi they miss so much. Everyone knows, it is a hit or miss thing, It can be a disaster if you are having guests and you just found out that your Doi did not set. You can only look at the liquid pot of frustration in despair and brace for the impending embarrassment. No no no, despair not, with my recipe you won't take a chance and the best part is that it takes only an hour! 

Ingerdients

1 kg Greek yogurt (full fat)
1 can sweetened condensed milk. (If the Caramel version is available in where you live use it instead, because that will give you that distinctive colour. But taste will be the same. Alternatively, you can use some caramel syrup or saffron for colour.)
1 cup cream (optional)
½ tsp salt

Process:

It couldn't be simpler:
Mix it all up slowly and carefully not to get air bubbles in.

Place in pre-heated oven at 100c for 1 hour (1.5 hour for extra thick).
Bring it out, let it cool then chill.

Make it a day in advance.